Torfi Ólafsson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland on November 8, 1955. He grew up in Kópavogur, and studied the guitar at the local music school for four years, from the age of eight. He played trumpet and horns in the school band, from its formation in 1966 until 1971.

In 1975, he graduated from MT college and in 1980, he received a B.E.D. degree from The Icelandic Teacher’s College.
Torfi has been in the music business since 1972 and is still very active in the industry today.

He established a guitar school in 1993 along with Tryggvi Hubner. He has taught there as well as in other schools since 1981. There have been over 50 concertos composed by him, 40 of which are written to poems by renowned Icelandic poets.

Many of his works can be heard on albums, e.g. by Árnesingakórinn choir, Rangæingakórinn choir and Kvennaskólans in Reykjavík, as well as The First 15 Years compilation album, Seen and Heard, the best of singer Pálmi Gunnarsson, The world and I (1998), Songs of the land (1990) and many more.
There have been 10 albums released over the years with some of Torfi’s arrangements, as well as collaborations with other Icelandic artists.